Wedding tips
Tips
There are many parts to producing incredible wedding films. It takes a little planning from everybody. In order for us to capture the best footage, here are some things to think about during your wedding planning:
There are many parts to producing incredible wedding films. It takes a little planning from everybody. In order for us to capture the best footage, here are some things to think about during your wedding planning:
General Tips
- Great Communication with other vendors – Have your planner and/or DJ stay in communication with both us and the photographer. Giving us a heads up a minute or two before starting a major event can allow us time to get setup where we need to be and start recording before he or she starts speaking.
- Put us in touch with your photographer – We find that communicating with the photographer ahead of time allows everything to run smoother on your wedding day. If we have not worked with your photographer before, please provide us with their contact information and/or give them ours.
- Don’t Surprise Us! – Wedding Surprises can be fun but if you want to capture the surprise on video please let us in on the surprise so we can have a plan to capture it in the best way possible.
- Keep Smiling! – We often see the Bride & Groom smiling for the photographer while we are also filming. When the photographer puts the camera down, the smiles can sometimes immediately go away. Stay smiling, stay interacting with one another while the photographer is doing other things. Have a good time being yourselves. This will allow us to capture some great footage.
- Spend a little time with us. For the most part, we let the photographer take the lead while he or she takes photos. We would like just a few minutes of your time to capture some of our own shots when photos are done. We’d also like 5 minutes with each one of you during your preparations to ask you a few questions on camera.
- Let us record your letter reading/gift opening. If you are planning on giving each other love letters and or gifts before the wedding, let us be a part and record the event for your wedding film. Let us know when and where this is going to happen.
- Strict Rules at Church – There are some churches that have strict rules when it comes to weddings. Some require cameras to be kept in the back of the church. It is important to find out the church rules beforehand so you know the quality of the footage that you will end up with. We like to have a camera in the back looking straight down the center isle as well as a camera on each side near the front of the ceremony. Having cameras in front allows us to capture faces and close-up shots of everyone involved. Please inform us of any restrictions so we can best be prepared to shoot within the rules.
- Too many photographers can ruin a shot – We understand that everybody wants to get a photograph of the perfect moments but too often now days, some of our shots of that moment are ruined because an iPad is lifted up in front of our camera or a guest moves to the center isle to take a quick photo blocking our shot. We know that this can be hard to prevent but there are ways to minimize this happening. Creative Pinterest ideas to educate your guests.
Audio Tips
- Allow us to tap into the microphones – Usually the church or the DJ will have mics in use during the ceremony. If we can tap into those mics, we can capture all the clear voices coming over the speakers. Asking the church and/or DJ ahead of time if we can do this is very important. We can handle any connection, but would like to know a head of time what connection to expect. The standards are (1/4 inch, 1/8 inch, XLR or RCA). If we are unable to plug into the microphones or sound mixer, we can provide our own wireless mics. The downside of this is the officiant might not want to wear multiple mics at the same time.
- Always use Microphones – Anything that is said without a microphone won’t be picked up well. On occasion one of people giving a toast wont want to use a mic and put it down. Speaking loudly without a mic won’t turn out well on camera.
Lighting Tips
- Let there be Light! – Video quality will always be better with more light. Ensure that there is sufficient lighting during the major events of the reception. If the lights are turned down during open dancing and then you have the cake cutting, turning the lights back up a bit will help ensure a great looking video.